This season's North London Derby was full of surprises, some pleasant and others bearing quite the opposite character. Interestingly enough, the Spurs started off quite well, scoring a goal that was disallowed for an offside, and another that was counted. Emmanuel Adebayor scored against his former club on the rebound after Szczesny saved a tough shot from Defoe. Tottenham continued to dominate, leading with 4 attempts in just 13 minutes. A brilliant combination that ended in a shot by Spurs midfielder Aaron Lennon somehow evaded the Gunners' far post. Anyone watching would have thought the match would continue as a one-sided effort in favor of Villas-Boas's side. With 73% of goals conceded by the Gunners in the first half, things weren't looking well. As always, however, the Gunners came back in style. Not only did they make use of their home field advantage, but they also decimated the 10-man Spurs after Adebayor got sent off by Howard Webb for a high tackle on Cazorla. Adebayor has been sent off 4 times in his career, 3 times by Webb. Without one of their best players, Spurs were like an Arsenal side without Olivier Giroud. "From that point onward," said the commentator, "Arsenal grew and grew". Walcott got a cross in from the right, giving Mertesacker the chance to craft a brilliant header from the center of the box for the equalizer and his first goal for Arsenal. The guests failed to make use of their set pieces and couldn't turn the game back to what it started out to be. Andre Villas-Boas could only stand and watch as Arsenal netted in two more goals before halftime. Sagna provided the chances for both Giroud and Podolski, the latter of which scored a deflected shot past an unsteady Hugo Lloris. Perhaps Spurs could have not conceded that goal - Lloris had saved plenty of other attempts. Ricochets always make it difficult for keepers, however, so it's difficult to blame him. Giroud squeezed in Arsenal's 3rd goal after Cazorla's delivery into the box.

Per Mertesacker celebrates with Theo Walcott. Source: lovingaaronramsey

As any good derby goes, the game moved from one end of the pitch to the other. If it hadn't been for the Spurs' non-existent defense, the match would have likely continued in such a fashion. The fire in their boots seemed to have died down as well - AVB's team could maintain possession, but were unable to create any chances, leaving their net at the mercy of the home team. The Gunners created some beautiful combinations, and Villas-Boas didn't seem to know how to get his team around in the maze of red. Playing with 10 men didn't help the guests, either. Giroud got a perfect cross from Cazorla from the right and easily sent the ball flying past Lloris. The Frenchman scored his fifth goal in all competitions this season. Cazorla picked up a swift pass from Podolski and scored his first goal at the Emirates in a one-touch finish. The Spurs' skipper Gallas was barely able to stop Podolski from scoring himself soon after. Walcott and Giroud wasted great opportunities leading up to the Spurs' second goal. If anyone could shine a light on the guests, it was Gareth Bale, who sped past Wilshere and Walcott to net in a long ball. But it was too little too late for Tottenham, and it may as well be for their manager. Nevertheless, the Welsh midfielder was intent on making a more significant contribution, taking up the ball after a terrific combo by his teammates, but his delivery found no receiver. Wenger brought on Oxlade-Chamberlain for Giroud, who received a standing ovation for his game. An Arsenal counter was intercepted, but not for long. The Ox himself had an absolutely beautiful run on the right, passing to Walcott, who nabbed it in the far post. The youngster failed to score himself, though he did manage to get a last-minute corner.

The match was Wenger's 39th North London derby; he's only lost 5, and he wasn't about to add to that record. The experienced manager has shown that despite his mistakes, he can put on a good show. He knows his players well - all of today's goalscorers, except for Walcott, are new signings. Tottenham, meanwhile, have a "chicken and egg situation", according to the commentators, in which "they have to try and get the right balance". Nevertheless, the derby was enjoyable and refereed very well. Arsenal showed they are very much capable of coming back, but the time will come when they will need to come back as a team in how they play, rather than from goal deficits. Then again, it could have been the atmosphere surrounding the match that influenced the Gunners. "It's derby day," the commentator pointed out. "You just never know."


Barclays Premier League - 12th Match Week
Saturday, November 17, 2012, 7:45AM ET

Arsenal FC vs. Tottenham Hotspur - 5:2 (3:1)
Venue: Emirates Stadium (London)
Referee: Howard Webb (Yorkshire)
Goals:
0:1 Emmanuel Adebayor (10')
1:1 Per Mertesacker (Asst. Theo Walcott) (24')
2:1 Lukas Podolski (Asst. Bacari Sagna) (43')
3:1 Olivier Giroud (Asst. Santi Cazorla) (46')
4:1 Santi Cazorla (Asst. Lukas Podolski) (60')
4:2 Gareth Bale (Asst. Sandro) (70')
5:2 Theo Walcott (Asst. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain) (90')

Half Time Stats:
7(6) : 4(3) shots (on target)
7:9 fouls committed
0:1 yellow cards
0:1 red cards
2:1 corners
1:2 offsides
60:40% possession

Full Time Stats:
13(10) : 6(4) shots (on target)
13:12 fouls committed
1:2 yellow cards
0:1 red cards
6:6 corners
3:2 offsides
58:42% possession

One would think that a face-off between the two longest-serving managers in English football would be an exciting match with goals coming from every direction. Sadly, Arsenal's game this season denied us that thrill, and it doesn't look like things will get better anytime soon. In a very predictable manner, Robin van Persie opened up the score for the Reds. Already the forward has contributed to a United tradition - that of scoring first at Old Trafford. The former Gunner netted the ball in after a cross from Rafael and a defensive error by Vermaelen. Though he scored his first goal against his former club, Van Persie's thirst for goals may not have been fully satisfied. He spent much of the game making hasty runs, often getting ahead of himself. In one scenario he shot the ball in even after he had clearly heard the referee's whistle for offside. He had a brilliant chance for a double in the second half, but underestimated the amount of space he had and gave De Gea a relatively simple shot to save. United were lacking in their own way, however. Fergie's team didn't take advantage of Arsenal's failure to make clear attacks, settling down a bit after the goal. United visibly had the advantage and were in control of the ball, but their attacks lacked a sharp final finish, not really threatening Mannone as much as they should have. Arsenal's nightmare worsened when Cazorla's handball gave away a PK. There was no disputing the call, as the ball hit his arm when he covered his face from a shot. Surprisingly, it wasn't RVP who went up to take the kick. Wayne Rooney, who had a great game overall feeding the ball into the box, failed to administer the penalty, his right-footed shot merely grazing the post. The missed chance didn't shatter the Reds, though they weren't too far ahead in possession.

Source: shinjikagawa-baby

Unlike this season's Gunners, United are known for finishing what they started. The Reds followed through with a second goal, a header by Patrice Evra into the near post off of a cross by Rooney. Anderson was in the perfect place to get a third ball in, but sent it high instead. United continued their dominance and Arsenal struggled to come up with ways to inch closer to De Gea's net. Finding the equalizer became even more unlikely after Wilshere earned a second yellow for a reckless challenge on Evra, leaving his team a player down for the rest of the game as well as for the next match against Fulham. An irresponsible move, considering United have never lost a game when leading with two goals. Wenger brought in Arshavin for Lukas Podolski, the latter of which has shown nothing of his abilities at Arsenal thus far. But even Arshavin's involvement in combinations wasn't enough to nab a tie, not when the rest of the team was barely going forward. Giroud finally had a shot on target, perhaps the first for Arsenal in the entire second half. Cazorla seemed to have taken the matter into his own hands during the last seconds of the game, firing off two attempts, one of which finally flew past De Gea into the net. Though the goal relieved United of their clean sheet, it was just too little and too late.

Arsenal fans can't use refereeing as the excuse this time, and if they do, they can safely look up referee Mike Dean's record and his denial of several penalties to both Manchester United and Chelsea in an important match as well as his questionable decision to award Blackburn a penalty in their game against Burnley two years ago. Despite the number of bookings, today's match was aptly officiated, and judging by Arsenal's sloppy game, the loss was well-deserved. Meanwhile, United knock Chelsea off the first place spot, just two points ahead before the Blues' result against Swansea is accounted for. Arsenal are in 6th for the moment. It'll be difficult for them to make it to the top 5 if Spurs and Fulham have a good season. By now it is clear that if every match is a struggle for Arsenal like their comeback against a last-place Reading, something is not right. United are the team to beat, but that's neither here nor there. I'd be a broken record if I said it's not the win that's important, but how you win. But there's another truth that's often overlooked: sometimes it's also important how you lose. You can go down with dignity if you know you've given it your all, especially if you're up against a front-runner. Arsenal are either highly unmotivated or very unfit. Whatever the reason may be, it's sad to see Wenger's team flop this way after last season's performance. RVP's absence can't be the only reason - if Fergie's United is the same with or without him, then why not Arsenal? If one were to put van Persie back in the Gunners' lineup, I am certain they would not be much better off. One commentator mentioned confidence as the issue, but that concept goes hand-in-hand with motivation, and that, my friends, is the manager's job.


Barclays Premier League - 10th Matchweek
Saturday, November 3, 2012, 8:45AM EST

Manchester United vs. Arsenal FC - 2:1 (1:0)
Arena: Old Trafford (Manchester)
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Goals:
1:0 Robin van Persie (4')
2:0 Patrice Evra (Asst. Wayne Rooney) (67')
2:1 Santi Cazorla (90+5')

Half Time Stats:
5(4):2(0) shots (on goal)
7:7 fouls
2:1 corners
2:1 offsides
51:49% possession
2:1 yellow cards
0:0 red cards

Full Time Stats:
13(6) : 7(2) shots (on goal)
15:15 fouls
6:1 corners
5:1 offsides
48:52% possession
5:3 yellow cards
0:1 red cards

There are two kinds of outsiders in a league. One of them is not so obvious, and certainly not like the other. The Gunners have for awhile now been the team that's either getting late goals or scoring by chance, and barely eking out three points. Wenger's challenge this season is coming up with a consistent way to score. Once any system changes, one has to adapt. We haven't seen much adaptation yet, but we've certainly been shown the possible options. Jack Wilshere's performance in the starting lineup was spectacular. One of the few Arsenal players to pose a threat to QPR's highly skilled keeper Julio Cesar, Wilshere's presence in the match was most notable. Giroud has been pretty good on the pitch in the last few games as well. Lukas Podolski has so far been the big disappointment for the Gunners, failing to bring his National Team and Bundesliga skills to the club. Despite his teammates' performance, the first half was a major flop. Arsenal maintained possession and even tested Cesar's net a few times, but playing against a last-place QPR, their chances should have come every two minutes, if not 30 seconds.

Though Wenger made no halftime subs, he certainly fired up his players. The Gunners came back on the pitch with a bit more urgency. Arteta's free kick gave Podolski one of his few well-executed shots, and Arsenal's first real encounter with the net. Cesar's save quickly transferred to a counter by the Rangers, and the game was just getting started. QPR's Sean Wright-Phillips continued to hover around Arsenal's box, but it was the Gunners who failed to take their best shot of the match. A wonderful delivery from Walcott gave Cazorla the perfect opportunity just 12 yards shy of the net, but the Spaniard managed to miss. Anyone would easily think it just wasn't meant to be for Arsenal, and they wouldn't know just how wrong they were. The Rangers were down to 10 men after Mbia's pointless, reckless retaliation on Vermaelen got him sent off. The referee had not noticed Vermaelen's initial challenge. With a little help from Lady Luck, Arsenal were back in business. An unfortunate Julio Cesar failed to keep a clean sheet, despite having done all he could to prevent the Gunners from scoring. Just moments before conceding, the Brazilian keeper saved the ball after a pinball series, deflecting the shot mere inches away from the goal line in a heroic jump. The great combination came seconds after Andrei Arshavin came on the pitch. The Russian went on to provide a brilliant cross on the left flank. Cesar saved another pinball effort, but Arteta's goal on the rebound was inevitable. Cesar went in for a diving save after Aaron Ramsey's shot on a half-volley, preventing the Gunners from a 2-0 win. Former Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero had a few good ideas for the guests and nearly got his team the equalizer in the last minute of regulation time after Taarabt's delivery. The Spaniard vied against both Wilshere and Cazorla earlier on, and was lucky enough to only get one yellow. In a sense, luck was on either side today.

They've got that #23 to thank. Source: tokeletesterdek

It took one substitution to turn the match around. The lesson for Wenger here is simple: don't underestimate the Russians. The Russian Premier League has created quite a few impressive players over the years. Pavel Pogrebnyak, who had his start at Spartak Moscow, did wonders at Fulham, scoring 5 goals in 3 games, including a classic hat-trick against the Wolves in which he scored from both of his feet as well as his head. Needless to say, the Russian's move to Reading had upset Fulham manager Martin Jol at the time. Then there was Yuri Zhirkov, whose defensive skills prevented Chelsea from conceding several goals in their Champions League match against Inter Milan in March 2010. Of course, several RPL stars have failed to shine on English soil, regardless of their talents. Andriy Voronin, who saw great success alongside Kevin Kuranyi at Dynamo Moscow, started off well for Liverpool in '07 but failed to continue his goal-scoring streak after recovering from an injury. Many will remember that former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp constantly benched striker Pavlyuchenko, despite the Russian's success at Spartak and his National Team. Wenger can't be making the same mistakes that got Benitez and Redknapp on a downward slope. He needs to refurbish the starting lineup. Out of all the possible changes to be made, perhaps the most crucial is giving Andrei Arshavin more playing time. While it's still unclear exactly who's going to step it up for Arsenal, from the looks of it, Arshavin might just be able to rekindle both his own and his team's successes. It all starts with giving him a chance.

Barclays Premier League - 9th Matchweek
Saturday, October 27, 2012, 10:00AM EST

Arsenal FC vs. Queens Park Rangers - 1:0 (0:0)
Arena: Emirates Stadium (London)
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Manchester)
Goals:
1:0 Mikel Arteta (84')


Published on Get Real Premier

"Would you like your humble pie with chips?" asked Jon Champion during the halftime break. What a great question for Arsene Wenger, especially this season. Arsenal's future has been looking somewhat grim; from losing van Persie to United to injured keepers Szczesny and Fabianski, the team has had their share of troubles. On top of that, they're now 10 points behind Roberto Di Matteo's European Champions. Today's match saw an incredibly sloppy performance from the Gunners, a lot of possession and not a lot of chances. Gervinho didn't see the field as well as he usually does, getting in quite a lot of passes to offside players. There were a couple of early attempts by Podolski, but none were on target. Grant Holt opened up the score for Norwich after Alexander Tettey's shot was pushed away by Arsenal keeper Mannone. Holt picked up the ball on the rebound - all he needed was a simple tap to score. Holt has been the star for Norwich this season, scoring in three consecutive games against the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, and now Wenger's side. Paradoxically, possession was almost always in Arsenal's favor, yet the score could have easily been 2:0 for Norwich. Michael Turner's header from a corner delivery just missed the far post. Podolski wasn't aggressive enough on the ball and completely missed out on a chance to go head-to-head with the Norwich keeper. It's one thing when a player misses a shot, and quite another when he doesn't take it.
Just as many had speculated about Sir Alex Ferguson's halftime substitutions, so too did some Arsenal supporters sit with sweaty palms, anxiously anticipating the arrival new faces on the pitch. Neither manager had made any half-time changes. In United's case, the choice made sense. The Red Devils came out of the halftime break to score. That said, after watching Manchester United come back from 1-goal deficit to Stoke, I half-expected Arsenal to do the same. Instead, the match had a rather different shock value - it was Norwich that continued to carry the initiative. Arsenal didn't get to the opposition's net in over 20 minutes. By then, Wenger had made up his mind - it was up to Oxlade-Chamberlain to take over from the lackluster Podolski. An interesting decision, considering the Ox was recently axed from the England squad. Not only that, but he had to be subbed out after less than 10 minutes due to an injury. With 15 minutes left in the game, Wenger brought on Andrei Arshavin. The Russian international took on set piece deliveries and partook in one combination. I should point out that Norwich's substituted players received a standing ovation for their efforts, which is much more than can be said about the Gunners. The crowd of just under 27,000 saw their team get their first win of the season and the first win against Arsenal at Carrow Road since Boxing Day in 1984, an unforgettable moment for manager Chris Hughton's career.

Photo: Stephen Pond/Empics Sports Photography Ltd. Source: Yahoo! Eurosport UK

How can a Premier League giant that is 72:28% ahead in possession lose the match? It would be wrong to say that Arsenal don't have much talent in their team right now without van Persie. The problem isn't what the players can do - it's what the players aren't doing, and therefore, what the manager isn't doing. If seen from the most objective viewpoint, Wenger isn't taking cues from his players. If you've been watching the documentary series Being Liverpool, you'll know that Brendan Rodgers is very serious about every single player being fully committed to the team. Anyone who shows signs of neglect is kindly reminded that they can just as easily be playing for the reserves. Then there's Sir Alex Ferguson's remarkable Red Devils, the team that carries more stability with them than both Arsenal and Liverpool. That stability comes from the manager's mindset and his ability to communicate with and motivate the players to get the results he desires. At Arsenal, there's clearly a problem with motivating players - with the likes of Podolski and Arshavin on the team, there's so much untapped potential. These players have proven themselves before, largely on the National Team level and under different managers. So why not now? Wenger is losing hold over his players, and the Gunners might soon find themselves trading places with last season's Liverpool, if he doesn't get some of that humble pie.

Fernando Torres celebrates his goal. Source: ferrnandotorres

An exciting London derby was underway today as current Premier League leaders Chelsea put Wenger's side to the test at Emirates Stadium. With a match on home turf and a 61:44 record of wins against the Blues, Arsenal looked to be the favorites. Of course, the persisting question going in to this season continues to sound like a broken record - can Arsenal manage without Robin van Persie? Perhaps one player doesn't make the team, but today the Gunners looked like they could use a goal-scoring forward. A crowd of over 60,000 watched as the chances began to sway in Arsenal's favor, cut short by the inevitable set piece goal from Fernando Torres. Perhaps it was Diaby's early substitution that rocked the boat, or the fact that Wenger didn't include Mertesacker in today's lineup. Either way, poor marking by the defense, especially Koscielny, gave Chelsea the lead. Juan Mata's great delivery allowed Torres to volley the ball in with his right foot, his 5th goal in 10 appearances for Chelsea this year. It's safe to say that Torres is having a much more productive season, not only in scoring goals, but in setting up dangerous counters. He's the kind of player the Gunners are currently lacking. Referee Martin Atkinson denied Torres a penalty after his one-on-one counter ended with his going down in the box. Replays showed that there was indeed no connection with Koscielny; the Spaniard was already going down. Chelsea have never lost their 15 Premier League games refereed by Atkinson; his presence must have been a lucky charm. Torres scored an offside goal after a pass from Mata and continued to be active throughout the half. Chelsea were significantly ahead in possession, though Arsenal were getting most of the chances. Cazorla, Gervinho, and, at times, Podolski set up a series of potentially great attacks. None of them posed too much of a threat for Petr Cech. The Gunners were finally able to equalize a few minutes before halftime after a cross by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the right flank gave Gervinho his 4th goal of the season. Despite Arsenal pushing the game more in the last ten minutes, Oscar had a nice potential attempt for Chelsea, and Torres shot the ball into the side netting in a last-minute effort.  

Arsenal came back strong at the start of the second half, with Podolski setting up a nice attack in the box. Cazorla missed the near post, though he was only a few meters away from the net. Chelsea exploited their counters, and for good reason. Vermaelen brought down Torres, earning Di Matteo's side yet another free kick and another goal. Juan Mata's delivery went straight into the net, though it seemed questionable whether Koscielny's leg touched the ball before it went in. Podolski finally tested Petr Cech with a close-range header, but the keeper came through for the guests. As the game evened out again, Arsenal's attacks came in waves. Olivier Giroud, who came in for Podolski, tested the keeper and got a corner for the home team after his shot ricocheted off a defender and forced Cech to reach for the ball. A late attempt by Wenger's side was saved by the inside of the crossbar, though Gervinho was offside. Victor Moses found space but shot the ball over the bar. Arsenal's last hurrah soon followed. Cazorla's shot teased the upper left corner, while Giroud wasted his moment, dribbling away, shooting too late, and not following the ball's motion. Chelsea walked away with 16 points, and rightfully so. As ESPN commentators Ian Darke and Steve McManaman suggested, Di Matteo's side simply have more players to mix and match. John Terry played a great defensive game, especially late in the second half. Transfers like Hazard and Oscar are shaping the midfield, while Moses proved his abilities in the wing.

Arsenal came off of a 6-1 win over Coventry in the Capital One Cup to a loss that could have been prevented. While Di Matteo can certainly be credited for his tactics this season, the Blues were already pretty consistent before he came in. During Arsenal's 7 years without a trophy, Chelsea have won 8 trophys, including 4 FA Cups, 2 Premier League titles, and the coveted status of Champions of Europe. 

If there was any irony to be found, it came from both sides. It was the first time this season that Chelsea scored from set pieces. Arsenal played a more organized game than the guests and even created more set pieces, but there's too big a gap in productivity between players like Cazorla and RVP. Whether or not that explains the 7-point gap between Arsenal and the Premier League leaders or Arsenal's first loss of the season is debatable. So far, it looks like Lukas Podolski and Gervinho will have to step up their game to help Wenger's side compete with the front-runners. They've certainly got the potential, but can the duo help their team win their first trophy in 7 years? We've got the rest of the season to find out. 



Barclays Premier League - 6th Matchweek
Saturday, September 29, 7:45AM EST

Arsenal vs. Chelsea - 1:2 (1:1)
Arena: Emirates Stadium/Ashburton Grove (London)
Referee: Martin Atkinson (Leeds)
Goals: 
0:1 Fernando Torres (Asst. Juan Mata) (20')
1:1 Gervinho (Asst. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain) (43')
1:2 Juan Mata (53')


Published on Get Real Premier.

Capello says, "Get back in the game!"

Thanks to modern technology and the invention of the internet, Andrei Arshavin was able to successfully leak Fabio Capello's appointment as head coach of Russia's National Football Team. What's brilliant, though, is how he did it. Arshavin reposted a fan's question from five years ago asking him who his favorite coach was, to which he obviously replied "Fabio Capello". Right above the q&a, he wrote:

Fabio Capello has been appointed as the new head coach of the Russian national team.

We wish him success in his new position.

So now we know Capello isn't signing the contract next week - he already did. Interestingly enough, Capello's alleged assistants won't be from England. 39-year-old Dmitri Alenichev recently began coaching FC Arsenal Tula, a fourth division (amateur league) team. During his playing career, Alenichev played for AS Roma and Perugia. The other aide, 43-year-old Igor Shalimov, coached the Russia Women's National Team, and had brief managerial stints at two clubs. Shalimov is familiar with all things Italian; as a player, he enjoyed a career at Inter, Udinese, and Napoli, to name a few. With deadlines on the horizon (the RFU still need to elect a president and finish preparations for the London Olympics, let alone select an NT for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers), it's no wonder all signs point to the appointment of the Italian specialist. Capello apparently agreed to live in Russia during his stay as manager, and to be actively involved in the development of footie in Russia. This includes communicating with RPL managers. Capello should have no trouble there, as he has a fellow Italian, Zenit's Luciano Spalletti, by his side. I recently discovered that if you Google the latter, the first thing that comes up is "Luciano Spalletti legendary 4-6-0 formation", which goes to show just how much authority he has in the world of football. Incidentally, another Italian by the name of Roberto Mancini was previously rumored as a candidate (though omitted from the RFU's official list). Maybe it's time to put Capello's past with England where it belongs - in the past. He has only managed one National Team, and we all know England has been infamous for failing at large-scale tournaments long before Capello's appointment. With a resume that includes successful spells at AC Milan and Real Madrid, and an attitude to get things done and ignore pesky criticism, there's no doubt he's a worthy coach for the job. Even though Capello, like any coach, has a set way of doing things, he's a professional chameleon and can easily adapt to any environment. He knows that every team is a different kind of animal. At the end of the day, though, his priorities are those of a determined and relentless human being. As he said in his interview for FFT, "the most important thing is results. That is not a philosophy, it's a fact."

There's something about Russia and Italians, and maybe that something includes a ticket to the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

1. Disloyalty is OK because football these days is just another business.
   Football is definitely a big-money enterprise in the 21^st century, with many teams owned by multi-millionaire tycoons or sponsored by corporate giants. It is an industry, just like any other sport. Like other sports, though, football has its share of deeper, more meaningful qualities: the unforgettable emotions in victory and defeat, over-the-top talent, and a diehard fan base. There is one more quality worth mentioning, and arguably the most important of them all: team loyalty. There are players as well as managers who have been with their clubs from start to finish. While it's rare to find a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson, who has trained one club for over 20 years, there have been and still are players who have dedicated the majority of their careers to one club. My argument, however, would be redundant if I did not point out one-club players who were incredibly successful. Some one-club men worth mentioning: Manchester United's Gary Neville, Bobby Charlton's brother Jack Charlton (Leeds United), Sam Bartram of Charlon Athletic, and AC Milan's Paolo Maldini. Maldini is one of the longest-serving one-club players in history, having played for AC Milan for 25 years. The longest-serving one-club players in history are Istanbul's Sait Altinordu (27 years) and England's Bob Crompton, who played for the Blackburn Rovers for 24 years.
   Let's not forget the most notable one-club man, legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin, who spent his entire career playing for FC Dynamo Moscow. He led his club to numerous victories, including 5 Soviet Top League Championships and 3 Soviet Cups.
   There are quite a few players today (not all of who are Englishmen) who have played for their club for over a decade, like 35-year-old Francesco Totti, who has been playing for A.S. Roma for 20 years. Then there are the veteran players who show no signs of stopping, like Barcelona's Xavi and (surprise!) USMNT right back Steven Cherundolo, who plays for Hannover 96. Xavi has had tremendous success at Barcelona, from winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey to the FIFA Club World Cup and 2010-11 UEFA Champions League.
   A seasoned player who chooses to stick with his club regardless of whether they win a trophy every season has a greater chance of winning one at some point than if he leaves at the peak of his career. It is irrelevant that Arsenal weren't the EPL champs last season. Wenger's side finished in 3^rd place, behind Manchester United and City. Keep in mind that Arsenal reached the final of the UEFA Champions League only 6 years ago, and lost 2-1 to Barcelona. Arsenal is a great club; there are other clubs out there that are more technically skilled, which is why Wenger's team hasn't had much success outside the Premier League in the past several years.
   2. The Money Question
   If Robin Van Persie truly loves Arsenal, there's one place he shouldn't be going, and that's Manchester City. Can RVP sign a deal with Mancini's team for a different motive? Perhaps, but it's hard to tell when City are a) the reigning champions and b) one of the richest football clubs in the world. On the other hand, Van Persie can not only sign with City for a hefty sum, but get Arsenal a fair share as well. The question then turns to Arsenal's motives – how much do they value RVP in terms of talent? If Arsenal's management think they can get better players and that Van Persie's stellar moments are ancient history, it makes sense to transfer him. It should be noted that Arsenal's latest catch Lukas Podolski is a talented, though inconsistent forward, and only time will tell if he can step up and become one of the club's leading goal-scorers. 

And the tables are indeed soon to be turned (literally) as teams in the English Premier League that we thought (and hoped) would be on top now have losing streaks. I'm referring mostly to Chelsea and Liverpool, of course. Though Liverpool still has a chance to make it to the top 5, despite having just lost 3:1 to Blackburn. Of course, the trip to get ahead in the scoreboard won't be easier any time soon, as Liverpool's next match is against Manchester United. Chelsea, meanwhile, just lost one-nothing to the team with the least amount of points on the scoreboard, Wolverhampton. The one goal that the Wolves scored was an own goal by a Chelsea player. Needless to say, things aren't looking good for the coaching staff. Which is upsetting because Chelsea started off the season with a bang, one victory after another. Then came the disappointing losses; a notable one was the game against Arsenal, who scored 3 goals against Chelsea's 1 goal. Arsenal is looking good in the standings, currently in third place with 40 points after having played 21 games. The current leaders, MU and Manchester City, have just a two-point difference, having accumulated 44 and 42 points, respectively. Though Manchester City has played two games more than United.
Another team I've been disappointed in recently is the Tottenham Hotspurs. Today's 2:1 loss to Everton showed that the team has lots of things to work on. Despite shining stars like Crouch, Van der Vaart, and Bale, and despite team manager Redknapp jotting strategy notes down on a napkin, there was a huge hole in the defense for part of today's match. Everton's second goal seemed effortless; in an absurdly fast-paced and fierce counterattack, Coleman basically won the game for Everton on the 75th minute. Fifteen minutes of game play plus four minutes of extra time weren't enough to grant the Spurs a tie at the very least. Raphael Van der Vaart, referred to as the "master of ceremonies" by the tv commentator, assisted the Spurs' only goal, which was scored by Crouch. Crouch got the ball in the net a second time, but the goal was disallowed on account of a clear offside.

In my list of clubs that should start improving, I've put the Spurs first, then Liverpool, then Chelsea.

Other games that were played today included Newcastle v/s West Ham, which ended with 5:0 and a win for Newcastle.

Although Barca spent most of this game the way they usually do (passing the ball back-and-forth between their side of the field and the center), they did show an impressive play during the second half. Pedro's double got Barca their win, yet Levante's Stuani got a goal in for the opposing team on the 80th minute. Again, there were times when the referee gave free kicks when he shouldn't have, and vice versa. But it was interesting to see how the team that is currently in 17th place and just two points away from being in "the zone" that would bring them down to the Segunda Division could fare against the number one team in La Liga.

Becks says "yes" to Spurs?

The internationally infamous player who currently plays for the MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy may be heading back to England. Despite his past remarks about his loyalty to MU, Beckham wouldn't mind playing for the Spurs. According to The Australian, Spurs manager Redknapp claimed that Beckham is indeed interested in playing for his team. This isn't surprising, considering Becks trained with the Spurs before playing for Manchester United.

[after -Tomorrow]'s games:

Manchester United v/s Stoke City - 3:00PM (ET)